Police name 70-year-old man who died in fatal fire at Auckland 'squatter' house

Author: Joel Kulasingham,
Publish Date: Thu, 28 May 2026, 11:22am

Police have confirmed 70-year-old Auckland man Geoffrey Rollinson died in a fatal fire in Onehunga last week.

Rollinson died after a fire broke out at his home at Trafalgar St, Onehunga, on Friday morning.

Police said investigations into the circumstances surrounding the fire remain ongoing.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” police said.

Locals spoken to by the Herald said the property was well-known for being a “squatter” house and a bit of a “hoarder place”, prompting concern in the neighbourhood.

A neighbour, who didn’t want to be named, said they had known Rollinson and his late mother, Florence, for years.

“Geoff used to associate with some pretty bad underworld people,” they said. “Some of these people that he [had living at his house], as he’s got older and stuff, he’s struggled to get rid of the bad ones.

“They’re not residents, they’re ratbags who have lived on the back of Geoffrey in a shed or underneath his house through circumstance.

“He locked himself up there because that’s where he felt a bit safe. Meantime, all of these people are just living [there].”

Locals said police have responded to the house many times.

Auckland Council confirmed there have been multiple complaints related to that address over the years, including two reports of “smoke from rubbish being burned outdoors at this property” last month.

A Givealittle page set up by “residents” of the property named the man who died as “Geoffery Rollinson”.

Crews working to extinguish the fire. Photo / Jason Dorday

The anonymous person who set up the Givealittle page, which is still pending moderation by the crowdfunding website and has so far raised $200 from one donor, claims to be Rollinson’s cousin.

The Givealittle description said there was a “chain” on Rollinson’s door.

“I ran back in thinking I had time but the smoke made it hard to see,” the page creator wrote. “I tried to break the chain on my cousin’s door but I was unsuccessful. Escaping barely with the clothes on my back and my dog.

“The smoke had barely cleared from the Friday morning fire when we realised our entire world had changed. In a matter of minutes, the flames took everything – the walls that held our precious memories, every single possession, and most heartbreakingly, the life of my dear cousin.

“I have no support; my dear cousin was my support. Completely overwhelmed by the sheer weight of grief and the massive mountain of rebuilding from scratch. I cannot do this alone.”

The Givealittle page said it was “created by, and paying to a verified bank account of, residents of 61 Trafalgar St”.

Funds are being raised for “a casket/send-off for my cousin and to secure safe accommodation for at least two weeks”.

Firefighters at the scene after a house fire in Onehunga. Photo / Jason Dorday

The Herald has been unable to reach the creator of the page.

A woman who was staying in a shed on the property at the time of the fire, Orini Johnson, said on Friday that six adults lived at the address in multiple units on the property including the “landlord”, who lived upstairs.

“Our landlord was home and he hasn’t come out yet,” Johnson said.

“It’s his family home, his mother’s, for years. I can’t remember specifically how long, but they’ve been here [for] years.

“It’s a family home for him … and his sister’s not well. It’s just really unbelievable.”

Johnson said a couple lived downstairs with their dog in the “front house”, while another couple stayed in the “other house on the side”. She said she and her baby, who wasn’t with her when the fire broke out, lived “in a shed” on the property.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand acting assistant commander Kenton Rusbridge said last week the house was a “mixed occupancy of unknown levels”, with one person unaccounted for when firefighters arrived.